I love Norway and decided to learn Norwegian :)

Norwegian is supposed to be the easiest language there is for an english speaker to learn (easier than dutch), so it should be no problem. Essentially you just have to learn vocabulary because the syntax/grammar is almost entirely intuitive.

rep Wed Jan 13, 2010 7:14 pm GMT

Ancestor of Norwegian language,Old Norse , influenced Old English language in early Middle ages.

fraz Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:22 am GMT

The trouble with learning a Scandanavian language (or Dutch) is that it can be difficult finding native speakers to practise with. Almost everyone in that part of Europe speaks good-to-excellent English and would rather use that language for ease of communication, rather than attempt to follow a foreigner's halting attempts at the local lingo. I used to know some basic Dutch but gave up trying to use it in Amsterdam because I was always answered disdainfully in English. Yet in Hungary, people's eyes lit up when I used my extremely rudimentary Hungarian. Why do the Northern Europeans take this rather haughty attitude?

Having said that, perhaps it would be different if you actually lived in Norway. It cannot feel natural for a Norwegian to constantly speak English and if you could absorb the language at a realistic rate and use it in the community with increasing confidence, perhaps it would be easier to gain acceptance.

Norse which means "wisdom" in Old Hokkienese. The ancestors of Norwegian are the good tales speakers in ancient time. Whom were the keepers of oral literature of Gar-Dena tribe. The Old Norse and Old English also come from Gar-Dena.

Time-wasting Wed Feb 10, 2010 5:51 pm GMT

Don't waste your time learning an insignificant language if you have no connection to the country and no reason to go there other than a holiday.

As others have said, unless you get extremely good at Norwegian (only way for that to happen is if you move to Norway), then you probably won't find anyone who will talk to you in Norwegian, they're all obsessed with English and a certain amount of them view English as being vastly superior - why the hell you would want to learn Norwegian would probably boggle their mind. They would definately view you as a bit of an eccentric for doing so.

Also, throw any misconceptions you have about Norway out the window, the viking days are long gone, these days Norway is a socialists paradise full of spineless lefties who just love immigrants and fawning over foreigners, and homosexuals, etc.

reason Sun Feb 21, 2010 1:28 pm GMT

Time-wasting Wed Feb 10, 2010 5:51 pm GMT
Don't waste your time learning an insignificant language if you have no connection to the country and no reason to go there other than a holiday.

The Kiev Rus (modern Ukraine) was connection to the Scandinavians in middle age.

minstrel Wed Mar 10, 2010 2:50 pm GMT

> opinion Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:04 pm GMT
<<The very easiest way to begin learning Norwegian is to start with Norwegian words similar to English [if English is your first or second language]. >>
Vinter-winter, sommer-summer,hare-hare,give-giv, hjert-heart,mann-man,land-land and so on.

You can try to read the Beowulf in Norwegian pronunciation and English pronunciation. The first one is more similar as the pronunciation of Beowulf in that old past days.

fraz Wed Mar 10, 2010 3:23 pm GMT

<<you probably won't find anyone who will talk to you in Norwegian, they're all obsessed with English and a certain amount of them view English as being vastly superior - why the hell you would want to learn Norwegian would probably boggle their mind. They would definately view you as a bit of an eccentric for doing so.>>

Is that really true though? Norwegians certainly use English to communicate with foreigners as very few outsiders are proficient in Norwegian.

But surely if you live permanently in the country, efforts to learn the language will be warmly received. Surely if nine Norwegians and one American are sitting together in a bar, the Norwegians don't really want to spend the whole evening speaking English for the benefit of just one guy?

John Wed Mar 10, 2010 3:49 pm GMT

Norwegians don't want Americans in their country for STARTERS!!!

They have seen what McDonnalds, Coke and all things American does to a person's health.

They don't want it and they don't want Americans. But let's be honest who in Europe do anyway?

Why would an American want to be in Europe? I thought America is "the Best country in the WORLD".... or so they say.

Time-wasting Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:47 am GMT

<<Surely if nine Norwegians and one American are sitting together in a bar, the Norwegians don't really want to spend the whole evening speaking English for the benefit of just one guy? >>

The strange truth is a lot of them actually would. Of course, they would make small exchanges in Norwegian, but there's a good chance they would conduct the bulk of the conversation in English if the need arised.

Roland Charlemagnesson Fri Mar 12, 2010 8:26 am GMT

Norway and France is ethnically sames. In France we haves town of Lille and in Norway they have town of Lillestrom! We French are 70% fRANKISH gERMANic and 20% NORMAN/nOrwegian and 10% Kelticks people.

My name is Roland Charlemagnesson, it is typical French name and my names is 100% nordics. I'm froming town of Besancon which means Bjornsson's farm and is 100% nordics placesname. France and Norsways is 100% Nordern Europes brotherhood.

Learning any language is pointless if you speak english. It's just something to do. But thats what life is about, just something to do. I think norwegian is a very good choice. Unless you wanna learn spanish, however the latin languages to me are the most uninteresting languages in the world.

Norwegian is not easy, but there is no part to it that is difficult. I mean you will have no trouble with grammar or speaking it. If your older I think it will relieve some stress. As far as the importance, of the language, I think it's not good enough. I mean people that say other languages are more important are just silly. If you go their will it really matter to you if there's 100 million people in the country or just 5.